Poems Everybody, Poems

Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history. - Plato

  Bagholder has always had an affinity for Poetry. Expressing complex thoughts, with a bare minimum of well chosen words can be one of life's great pleasures to behold. Some of the best poets of the last half century have utilized their talents writing lyrics for music. Rocknroll, rap, country - they all have their share of poets. A good poem, just like a good piece of Art, is subjective. The best works speak differently to different people, depending upon what they choose to see.  Todays blog will discuss one of Bagholder's favorite (because of its elegance & simplicity) obscure rocknroll tunes from the 1980's, along with some of the many plausible interpretations. 

There is unrest in the forest, There is trouble with the trees, For the maples want more sunlight And the oaks ignore their please. The trouble with the maples, (And they're quite convinced they're right) They say the oaks are just too lofty And they grab up all the light. But the oaks can't help their feelings If they like the way they're made. And they wonder why the maples Can't be happy in their shade. There is trouble in the forest, And the creatures all have fled, As the maples scream "Oppression!" And the oaks just shake their heads So the maples formed a union And demanded equal rights. "The oaks are just too greedy; We will make them give us light." Now there's no more oak oppression, For they passed a noble law, And the trees are all kept equal By hatchet, axe, and saw.

 Could this be a statement on Republicans (Oaks) who have it all, taking advantage of the poor underprivileged Democrats (Maples)?  The analogy seems perfect when you consider that maple trees need shade to survive, whereas with uninterrupted direct sunlight (which they clamor for) they would die. Life is no different, as Democrats aren't happy unless they are taxing those who produce; and heaven forbid  they ever get the complete control they clamor for, it would literally - kill the country……Or  

 There are a lot of parallels to the feminist movement of the 1970's. Women (maples) scream for equality, while men (oaks) can't understand why women jus don't accept their role - and "be happy in their shade".  The feminist movement, like the maples,  was screaming for something they really didn't need/want.  They fought for the right to abandon their traditional role of stay at home & raise kids, in favor of slaving 40 hours a week for some green paper.   It is difficult imagining any rational group of people wanting to make that trade, let alone marching on DC to get it done……Or

  Could this be a statement on civil rights and the whites (oaks) oppression of the Black (Maples) searching for equality (light). The civil rights movement was a "noble" one, was it not?  The hatchet, axe & saw are the implements of equality in our poem. In the real world, the tool of implementation is  Affirmative action. While the intent was noble, you cannot legislate morality.  Consequently, society (the forest) as a whole is worse off……Or   

 Is this poem an allegory on the failures of communism's never-ending quest to ensure equality for all? History has shown repeatedly, any efforts to create equality where none exists naturally  is destructive for all involved.  True to marxist dogma, the trees are made equal by cutting down the strong. As a result, there is no more rich in the forest, only poor. 

  While republican/democrat, male/female, black/white, rich/poor are all reasonable interpretations of the oaks & maples.  We here at Mytwocent$ believe these are all  false dichotomies created for the sole purpose of shifting focus away from the real enemies, on to false ones.   In every case the two combatants have more in common with each other than they dare admit, all the while the real threat goes unnoticed. It is textbook divide & conquer strategy executed perfectly by the kleptocrats running this country. They keep the masses squabbling over petty differences, as they go unnoticed pillaging the planet. It truly is, poetry in motion.